First, "The Sword and the Faith" is the second in a series of three novels, beginning with "Blood Gladius."

Now, continuing the saga of the characters on their quest for spiritual elevation, we present another stage completed by all of them, whose main events unfolded during the period contemporary to the coming of Christ, a unique opportunity for those privileged enough to be here at that time.

We present, then, the continuation of a love story experienced by Antônio and Esther, actually Flavius and Silene in a previous life, who reappear here seeking each other out and supporting one another in the struggles and rescue missions, forging the necessary weapons for their progress.

Antônio, like Flavius, is a soldier and, more than that, a typical Roman citizen with his core values shaped by the social context of the time. However, deeply moved by these events, the profound emptiness he feels in his heart compels him to seek his inner truth far from the corrupting atmosphere of the Metropolis, in Judea, where mysterious hands would guide him to Esther, so that together they might once again experience the profound love that binds them.

The commitments that unite us are clear, indelible on our souls, even though we sometimes choose not to see them, our eyes blinded by the deceptive allure of material wealth. Yet, sooner or later, our turn inevitably comes, and we must confront our limitations, no longer in terms of the values of our humble Mother Earth, but with the horizon of spiritual progress in the kingdom of our Eternal Father, the very kingdom that our Heavenly Brother came to proclaim.